The present invention relates to a series of removable bulkheads which surround and protect immovable building fixtures such as sprinkler and plumbing lines, heating and ventilation ducts, and electrical and telecommunications wiring.
Building managers which administer residential and commercial leases often have to renovate rental properties to meet the needs of a tenant or renovate because of changes to municipal building codes. Rental properties can have a variety of utilities, such as piping, fire protection, electrical wiring, heating and ventilation ducts, and telecommunications wiring. Since in most properties, large portions of utilities like ventilation ducts, water piping, sprinklers, and electrical wiring are hidden behind finished ceilings and walls due to aesthetic concerns, building mangers need to hire carpenters to open up these ceilings and walls in order to access these utilities to perform renovations. Once a renovation is complete, a carpenter needs to be retained again to refinish these exposed ceilings and walls. In order to refinish the ceiling or wall, a carpenter will have to close the hole in the exposed ceiling or wall. A common technique used to refinished exposed ceilings and walls is drywalling.
Drywalling is a construction technique which involves the installation of gypsum plaster panels pressed between two thick sheets of paper or fiberglass, which are commonly known as drywall. Drywall is installed by first being cut to size by a carpenter to cover the exposed area, then attached to wall studs or ceiling joists using nails, glue, or screws. After the panels are secured to the studs or ceiling joists, the space between the panels of drywall and the existing wall must be covered with joint tape. Next, several layers of a mud like paste known as joint compound is then applied to the exposed surfaces of the panels. Finally, the exposed surface is sanded and then painted.
The drywalling technique has several inherent problems. First, drywall is very heavy making it difficult to handle and install. Drywall is also very brittle and prone to cracking and flaking when handled improperly. Application of joint compound to the exposed surface of the panels is a very messy process and compound will invariably get into unintended areas. For example, when drywall is installed near a sprinkler line, joint compound can infiltrate the sprinkler line and create clogs. New clogs in the sprinkler line require the retention of a sprinkler contractor for a second time, and a carpenter to open and reclose the ceiling.
The added expense of retaining two contractors to repeat the same work can significantly add to rental property's operating costs. The added time necessary for contractors to open a ceiling, re-fix a utility, and reclose a ceiling can add weeks, months, and sometimes years to the time it takes for a tenant to move into a rental property. This additional time can cause a significant loss of rental income for landlords. Commercial tenants would also lose income from their inability to utilize their rental space to carry on their business. Residential tenants would be forced to bear the additional cost of finding temporary housing.
Another problem associated with using drywall is that it generates a large amount of waste. Drywall is only sold in large sheets and in order to refinish a ceiling or patch a wall a carpenter will invariably need to cut much smaller pieces from the larger pieces. Once the smaller pieces are cut, the larger sheets almost always become useless because their shape has now become irregular, and are discarded as waste.
Another problem associated with using the dry wall technique is the time it takes to complete. The drywall needs to be cut, attached, taped, covered with joint compound, sanded, then painted. Each step relies on a different skill set to complete and is an opportunity to damage a nearby utility. Putting drywall to refinish the ceiling of an average sized room could take anywhere between 4 to 7 days.
Thus, the problem of a quick and cost effective method for carpenters to refinish the ceilings and walls that house the utilities of a property remains.